NAOMI - adaptive optics at the WHT
----------------------------------

ING particularly encourages applications to use NAOMI, 
the WHT's common-user AO facility, during 2003A (Feb - Jul 2003).  

Applications are welcome from observers in the UK, Spain, Netherlands,
and other EU and associated states (see access-policy page 
referenced below).

NAOMI delivers diffraction-limited images in J, H and K bands 
(FWHM <~ 0.15 arcsec).  The science detector is INGRID, with a
40-arcsec field of view (unusually large for an AO system).
A coronograph, OSCA, was commissioned May 2002.

NAOMI can be used to image any astronomical target having a suitable 
guide star (V < 14, within a few 10s arcsec).
The guide star can be the science target itself, if it is 
sufficiently bright and compact.
The AO correction achieved depends on the magnitude of the guide
star, separation of the science target from the guide star,
the natural seeing, and the wavelength of observation.  
In median seeing (0.7 arcsec in the optical), a guide star with 
V = 11.5 typically yields FWHM ~ 0.2 arcsec, Strehl = 0.2, out to 
a radius ~ 20 arcsec in H band (1.6 microns).  

NAOMI observations are usually carried out by ING staff, in
queue-scheduled mode, to take advantage of the best seeing.



Web pages
---------
NAOMI performance, throughput etc.:
   http://www.ing.iac.es/Astronomy/instruments/naomi/index.html

OSCA (coronograph):
   http://www.ing.iac.es/Astronomy/instruments/osca/osca_main.html

NAOMI science and commissioning images:
   http://www.ing.iac.es/~crb/wht/aocommpix.html

Applying for time:
   http://www.ing.iac.es/Astronomy/observing/INGinfo_home.html

Access policy for European observers:
   http://www.ing.iac.es/Astronomy/observing/eno.html

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